Probe launch after police dog attack at Emergency Services Show

17 September 2018

Swindon Advertiser

An internal investigation has been launched after the dog attack at the Kemble airfield event on Sunday.

Wiltshire Police apologised to the member of the public who was bitten. A spokeswoman for the force said: “We are investigating an incident which occurred at Kemble Airfield shortly before 11.30am during the Emergency Services Show.

"It is understood one of our experienced police dogs regrettably managed to escape his cage and bite a member of the public, causing an injury to his arm.

"The man went to hospital for treatment following the incident. His injury is not believed to be serious, however, our complaints procedure has been outlined to him. An internal investigation is now underway to determine how this incident was able to happen.

"The Emergency Services Show has always been an opportunity for all different areas of the emergency services to display their work to the public, and the dog section is always an extremely popular segment to the show.

"We apologise to the member of the public who was affected by this incident.”

Show chairman Chris Harvey said: "Although the injury is not believed to be serious, the show committee would like to wish the gentleman a speedy recovery." He added the incident happened in an area that was not open to the public.

The 999 show was set up in 2005 as an open day for Malmesbury Fire Station. It has since expanded into a day-long celebration of the emergency services.

The event features demonstrations from the police, fire and ambulance services, as well as displays of historical emergency service vehicles.

Among the exhibitors were police dogs from Wiltshire Police's specialist Tri-Force dog unit. To join the unit, dogs and their handlers have to undergo an intensive 13 week programme of training and testing.

Last year, Tri-Force dog trainer Ian Partington "Training to become a dog handler is like nothing else in the police force.

"You have some good days with your dog and they do everything brilliantly, then the next day it will be completely different."